PDF

Also known as PDF (Adobe), PDF format, PDF Format, PDF (file format), Adobe Portable Document Format, Portable Document Format, Adobe PDF

Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1993 used to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. Based on the PostScript language, each PDF file encapsulates a complete description of a fixed-layout document, including the text, fonts, vector graphics, raster images and other information needed to display it.

AI overview

PDF is a file format created by Adobe that lets you share documents with text, images, and formatting that look the same no matter what computer, software, or device someone uses to open them. It matters because it reliably preserves the exact appearance and layout of a document across different platforms, making it ideal for sharing information that needs to look consistent for everyone.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

File format.name: Portable Document Format
File format.icon: PDF_file_icon.svg
File format.icon_size: 121px
File format.iconcaption: Adobe PDF icon
File format.extension: .pdf
File format._noextcode: no
File format._nomimecode: true
File format.uniform type: com.adobe.pdf
File format.magic: %PDF
File format.owner: Adobe Inc. (1991–2008) ISO (2008–)
File format.latest release version: 2.0
File format.extended to: PDF/A, PDF/E, PDF/UA, PDF/VT, PDF/X
File format.standard: ISO 32000-2
File format.open: Yes
File format.typecode: PDF (including a single trailing space)

via Wikipedia infobox

Official website

ISO 32000-2:2020 - Document management — Portable document format — Part 2: PDF 2.0

Document management — Portable document format — Part 2: PDF 2.0

iso.org →

Link to the official site · 9,012 chars · not written by Vinony

Described at

sweetscape.com →

Link to a page describing this subject · 19,318 chars · not written by Vinony

Wikidata facts

Official website: www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/adobepdf.html

Show 12 more facts

short name: PDF
Commons category: Portable Document Format
file extension: pdf
media type: application/acrobat
Stack Exchange tag: tex.stackexchange.com/tags/pdf
described at URL: wiki.opf-labs.org/display/TR/Portable+Document+Format
publication date: 1993-06-00
file format identification pattern: 25504446
ACM Classification Code (2012): 10011515
software version identifier: 2.0
exact match: rs.tdwg.org/format/values/m018
P8168: Rineloricaria thrissoceps

Sources (11)

via Wikidata · CC0

~45 min read

Article

34 sections

Contents

History
Technical details
PostScript language
File format
Imaging model
Vector graphics
Raster images
Text
Transparency
Additional features
Logical structure and accessibility<span class="anchor" id="Tagged PDF"></span>
Optional Content Groups (layers)
Encryption and signatures
File attachments
Metadata
Accessibility
Multimedia
Forms
Licensing
Security
Changes to content
Malware vulnerability
Zip bomb
Software
Viewers and editors
Printing
Native display model
Annotation
Conversion and Information Extraction
Alternatives
See also
References
Further reading
External links

PDF has its roots in "The Camelot Project" initiated by Adobe co-founder John Warnock in 1991. PDF was standardized as ISO 32000 in 2008. It is maintained by ISO TC 171 SC 2 WG8, of which the PDF Association is the committee manager. The last edition as ISO 32000-2:2020 was published in December 2020.